Alla Prima
by LostInBlueSkies
Summary: Chapter four finally up! Flirtations between Warrick and Catherine start off slow in the lab...will Catherine stop them before they go any farther?
1. That Thing You Do

Alla Prima, chapter one. Feedback: Greatly appreciated. I'll even give you a cookie! Rating: PG for now. This started off as a vignette, but now will be a full-sized story, posted in chapters. Hope you guys like it!  
  
She was beautiful, like something out of a poem, standing at the end of the hallway wearing jeans and a crimson t-shirt. Hair flipped back, hands tapping her knees in time with the music coming out of Greg's lab, he watched her there for several minutes before she finally noticed him.  
  
"Warrick," she called out, moving toward him quickly, "I've been waiting for Nick for almost twenty minutes. Do you have any idea where the hell he is?" Her blue eyes flashed red with anger as he searched his mind for an answer.  
  
"Probably running late because of traffic," he lied, still staring.  
  
"Yeah, right. He's flirting with the new techie again, isn't he?" She looked him straight in the face and he felt his heart in his chest more obviously than usual.  
  
"Yeah," he said absentmindedly, watching her smile, "Yeah, he's in the break room."  
  
She brushed past him and started walking down the hall. Turning, Warrick watched the back of her as she moved, trying not to stare too noticeably. Then, unexpectedly, she turned and grinned when she saw him watching her. "Don't get too excited, Warrick, you've still got a whole shift to work."  
  
Smiling, he said, "Seeya around, Cath." 


	2. Just Smile

Alla Prima, chapter two This is a longer chapter than the first, sets up the plot line. Enjoy!  
  
"Alright," Catherine sighed as she set her crime scene kit down on the linoleum of the townhouse bathroom. "One dead man, naked, lying on his stomach at the foot of the toilet." Grinning, she raised an eyebrow at Warrick, who was standing beside her. "Oh, the possibilities."  
  
He smiled back at her and bended down to look at the body. "My guess is he slipped or fainted while taking a leak, hit his head on the sink," he pointed to the white ceramic sink beside the toilet, "and died an untimely death."  
  
"That would explain the gash on his head," David commented, tilting the victim's head so the two CSIs could see the wound.  
  
"And the blood on the edge of the sink," Catherine added, swabbing it.  
  
"But not the stab wound in his lower abdomen," David said, and the two others frowned. "I'll take him to the morgue, find out the cause of death, and get back to you to ASAP." The young coroner smiled, and he and a few others began to take away the body.  
  
After Warrick and Catherine had been working for almost an hour alone in the bathroom, Catherine spoke. "Who takes a leak naked?"  
  
He chuckled, collecting hairs from the floor mat. "Maybe he just came out of the shower," he added, watching as she gave him a pointed look and bent down to collect footprints.  
  
"Okay, but still, how does he get a stab wound in his abdomen? What, he's going to the washroom and somebody jumps out from behind, swings him around and stabs him in the stomach?" She shook her head, flipping her hair back. "I'm not buying it, babe."  
  
"Well," he said, "so my theory is a bit off, but I don't see you thinking of any smarter ideas."  
  
She threw him a devilish grin. "He was taking a shower...with a woman. She gets out before he does. Then he gets out, and as he's walking over to the cupboard for a towel, she stabs him. He stumbles over, hits his head on the sink..." She flicked her wrist. "End of story."  
  
"You're kind of cold and heartless, aren't you?" Warrick asked, pretending to be serious while he dusted for fingerprints.  
  
"Yeah," Catherine conceded, listening to him laugh out loud behind her, "But in a sexy way."  
  
He just nodded, not wanting to go too far, but in his mind he was agreeing with her wholeheartedly. She bent over to get something out of her kit, and it was all he could do not to stare. Jeez, he thought to himself, this is starting to get ridiculous. "Catherine...?" he started, watching as she turned to look at him curiously.  
  
"Yeah?" she asked.  
  
"Do you think sometime we could-"  
  
Grissom opened the door of the bathroom, then, cutting him off. Warrick was about to finish, but Catherine practically jumped when she saw Grissom, and started getting flustered, acting like nothing out of the ordinary was happening.  
  
"Just...thought I'd butt in," Grissom said, looking a little lost. "They wouldn't give me a case of my own, said I had to work with you two."  
  
"Gil," Catherine said, concern edging her voice, "You're not supposed to be working for another week yet. You're on paid leave, why are you here?"  
  
He stared her straight in the face for two brief seconds and then began darting his eyes around the scene. "I got bored," he said, shrugging. "So how far are you guys?"  
  
"We're almost done," Warrick said, looking at Catherine from the corner of his eye. "It's pretty straightforward, murderer left a lot of evidence behind."  
  
"Great," Grissom exclaimed, "let's finish up then."  
  
***************  
  
When Grissom had left in his own Tahoe and Warrick and Catherine were walking to theirs, Warrick slipped an arm around Catherine's waist and looked at the side of her face as she walked.  
  
"What were you going to ask me in there?" she asked. He was surprised she even wanted to continue the conversation, what with the guilty way she had acted when Grissom had walked in.  
  
"Just if you'd like to have dinner sometime, or go to see a movie," he answered, her confidence erasing his nervousness.  
  
"Is that allowed?"  
  
Warrick smiled. "I never heard it wasn't, so I'm assuming it is."  
  
"I like the way you think," Catherine said, grinning, and pulled him closer. "So, what, tomorrow night good?"  
  
He nodded. "Sounds great to me, I'll be looking forward to it."  
  
"Good," she said, grinning.  
  
"Oh, and get dressed up," Warrick added, "I've got somewhere I wanna take you."  
  
She threw him a coy look and leaned into him. "I've got somewhere I want to take you, too, but let's not move too fast." 


	3. Perfect Timing

Alla Prima, chapter three. Oh, I'm just punching out these chapters. This one gets a PG-13. Thanks to Meg and Tash, for displaying interest. :)  
  
Warrick had been touching Catherine all night. Letting his hand rest on the small of her back, running his fingers along the curve of her inner arm, leaning in close enough so that she could feel the warmth of his skin on hers. He was teasing her, making her want him.  
  
"Are you sure you're okay with spending this much money?" she asked for what had to be the eighth time that night as they sat having dinner. "I feel guilty." She didn't, really, but she said it anyway.  
  
He just stared at her, watching her take a sip from her wine glass. His eyes were practically burning two holes in hers, but she didn't feel uncomfortable, just...vulnerable. Like any moment he'd announce he knew all her secrets.  
  
Once in a while he would ask her something or tell her something that seemed to come out of absolutely nowhere, but she tried not to seem surprised. The thoughtful, introverted, creative personality he had acquired was attractive to her, and she didn't want to do anything to make it go away.  
  
Wanting to make him blush, she ran the tip of her finger along the curve of her plate and rose an eyebrow. "That shirt matches your eyes," she said casually, leaning her elbows on the table. "You look really good."  
  
He smiled, flattered, and looked down at the floor. In that instant he was the Warrick she knew, until he looked up again, bold-faced. "You look..." He searched for the right word... "Incredible," he said, leaning farther across the table, watching her intently. His eye contact was interrupted when her beeper started going off, and then, almost immediately after, his.  
  
They both looked down. "Greg's got something on our naked man case," Catherine said loudly, almost annoyed, and she saw Warrick nod. "Should we go in?"  
  
He looked down at their plates. "It would probably be smart," he said, and she saw the disappointment in his eyes.  
  
"It's a huge case," she agreed. "But... I had a great time, I..." she trailed off, not knowing what to say. He stood in front of her, seeming to memorize her face, and she could smell his cologne.  
  
"I had a great time, too," he said, but so quietly she had to strain to hear.  
  
*********  
  
A few days later, Catherine walked into the evidence room, seeing Warrick leaning over the table looking at something intently. "Hey," she said softly, watching him twist around to face her. His eyes were frosted, and the skin on his face looked soft, smooth, glowing.  
  
"Hey," he greeted warmly, clearly happy to see her. "What's up, why are you here?"  
  
"Same reason you are," she said, resting a hand on his back, "I think."  
  
"I'm here because I'm obsessed with this case." He leaned his back against the table and folded his arms, observing her. "Couldn't sleep, and I had no plans for today."  
  
"Lindsey's at her grandma's for the holiday, there's nothing for me at home. I hate being there by myself." She stood beside him, trying to be still, not wanting to stir the heaviness of the air. "Too quiet."  
  
He rested his hand on the table behind her. "I have the same problem," he said quietly, almost cautiously. "I invite people over all the time, hate being alone."  
  
She swallowed, trying to keep the electricity circling around the room at full speed. "How is it that we're the only workaholics in this place on a holiday?" She made her voice sound light, casual, but before she knew it he was standing so close to her she could feel his body heat.  
  
He leaned into her first, but she was the one who kissed him. It was spontaneous, she only did it because she knew they were alone and she hadn't been able to stop thinking about the idea since their date.  
  
She couldn't feel the steel of the table behind her, only his hands on her skin, the warmth emanating from his fingers seeping into her stomach. He moved closer, looking at her in more of an intense way than she had ever seen before. Oh, he was attractive. Dark skin, hair you could lose a hand in, and his eyes... His eyes had been the first thing about him that caught her attention. Before she noticed his sexy walk she was blown away by the fixed, gorgeous gaze that spilled out from those eyes.  
  
Murmuring something into her neck, he let his lips graze the sensitive skin behind her ear, then pulled back and watched her as she caught her breath and averted his stare. "You're a bad influence," he stated, like it was a good thing. She arched an eyebrow. It was the last thing she had expected him to say.  
  
"What, you've never made out in the evidence room after hours before?" she teased him, playfully putting one of her legs between his, wanting him to touch her again.  
  
He smiled. The next thing she knew he was gently lifting her up on the table, caressing her skin with those long, beautiful, warm fingers. 


	4. Who To Blame?

Alla Prima Chapter four - finally!  
  
Notes: Well, I finally updated this. I hope you haven't forgotten about me, but I wouldn't be surprised if you had. I know this is short, but I promise to get the next chapter in ASAP. Please feel free to review!  
  
"I see all," Greg pointed to his eyes, staring at Catherine intensely, "and know all."  
  
"Very nice to know, Greg," Catherine said, flashing him a smile and walking up to the evidence table. "Is that a... pertinent fact or are you just stating all your skills randomly?"  
  
"Oh, it's pertinent," he said, slanting his eyes at her and leaning against the table. "Or... is it?"  
  
"You're kind of freaking me out a little," she said slowly, backing up. "Why are you looking at me like that?"  
  
Greg grinned and began to work on some DNA evidence. "I think you know, Cath."  
  
"Oh, but see... I really don't." Catherine moved to stand beside him and put an arm around his shoulder. "So why don't you just tell me what's going on, Greg?"  
  
He pointed to the area over his shoulder. "I got into work this morning, looked around, and my lab was a mess. While others may not notice the misplaced bottles, test tubes, and one big black marker, I, however, know exactly where everything in this lab goes." He arched an eyebrow. "Somebody was in here after hours, and I think it was you." When Greg saw the surprised look on Catherine's face, he edged on even further, "and Warrick."  
  
She looked at him a little closer. "How did you figure that out? You can't have known it just because of the stuff in different places." She grabbed him by the arm. "Who saw us?"  
  
Greg sighed. "Fine, I'll admit, Warrick told Nick who told me... and about eight other people." Just as Catherine was about to burst, he added, "But don't tell Warrick that Nick told everyone, he'll freak. He swore him to secrecy."  
  
At this, Catherine took a deep breath and swung around, starting to walk toward the door. Greg watched her leave and just before she exited completely, he yelled, "Hey Cath, by the way, how was it?" 


End file.
